By: Joseph Furst and Albert Garcia, Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Wynwood Business Improvement District, Miami
As Art Basel descends on Miami Beach this week, the forward-thinking global audience it attracts is increasingly venturing beyond the show’s traditional South Beach confines in search of a truly authentic Miami experience.
Wynwood — a mix of urban grit, street art, unique retailers, and dining — is answering the call with its authentic, accessible, and decidedly local flair.
The neighborhood features the largest collection of street art and murals in the world — an ever-changing collage that uses the district’s expansive warehouse walls as its canvas and allows visitors to not only stroll through art-covered streets, but also to enjoy a front-row seat as world-class artists drop in to create new works.
The Wynwood Arts District also boasts 80-plus art galleries, studios, and collections, adding to the draw for local and visiting art aficionados.
Wynwood is also home to unique local retailers, craft beer breweries, eateries and bars that add further color to the already-vibrant neighborhood.
Longtime local standards like Joey’s, Panther Coffee and Pride & Joy are now joined by hometown favorites Alter, Beaker & Gray and Concrete Beach Brewery — all offering Basel-goers the unique Miami experience that they seek.
And with a number of new mixed-use residential projects on tap, Wynwood’s evolution as Miami’s authentic urban heart will continue.
Amid these changes, though, Wynwood’s foundation remains unchanged: a proud commitment to public art; supporting local galleries, retailers and restaurants; and welcoming all those in search of a uniquely Miami experience.
We look forward to what’s to come and to welcoming the art world to Wynwood this week.